Shawn Porter has defeated Adrien Broner by unanimous decision in Las Vegas, despite suffering a final-round knockdown.
The showdown between the two American welterweights had been one of the most eagerly-anticipated fights of 2015, but the opening rounds were generally one-sided as Porter's aggression saw Broner retreat onto the back foot.
As the bout approached the middle rounds, Broner was having more success on the counter as Porter's come-forward style perhaps started to become predictable, but Broner wasn't endearing himself to the judges or the referee with his frequent holding.
Throughout rounds eight to 11, Porter began to regain control of the contest as he constantly pushed his opponent back, and it got worse for Broner who was docked a point in the 11th round after continuing to hold and push down Porter during clinches.
However, at the start of the final session, Broner landed a left hook that floored Porter, who acknowledged the shot, but the long-time aggressor was able to recover and see out the round with relative ease.
Despite hitting the canvas, all three judges scored the bout in favour of Porter by margins of 114-112, 115-111 and 118-108, and with the win, he puts himself in contention to face Floyd Mayweather Jr on September 12.
Darren Plant
